Hydraulic excavating and harvesting apparatus



' Dec. 21 1926.

. FJFEAR HYDRAULIC EXCAVATING AND HARVESTING APPARATUS Filed March 31 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Win}; l I

| l I U 1 fifll l I i l l l IMI HM i' WM I I l I I l l i J I f I 1 i i I NH 'l 1 W "1 I i I iH II L w I l I INVENTOR jiam ATTORNEY 5 Dec. 21 1926. 1,611,850

F. FEAR HYDRAULIC EXCAVATING AND HARVESTING APPARATUS Filed March 51, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fig 2.

8 J V' Z $806 T/NIIIENTOR (ATTORNEY j Patented Dec. 21, 1926.

UNITEB STATES 1,611,$5t rarest @FFFEQE.

FRED FEAR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 1'0 J. H. TOOXSEE & SONS, 0F HEX/1T YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

HYDRAULIC EXGAVATING ANT) HARVESTING APPARATUS.

Application filed March 31, 1920.

This invention is a hydraulic excavating apparatus, and it pertains, more particularly, to an excavator of that kind wherein a hydraulic current is employed in the operation of harvesting sub-aqueous products such as clams, oysters and the like.

The object of this invention is to conduct the operations of dislodging subaqueous products from their beds or propagation, and to transport the same, through the agency of a hydraulic current, and, further, to separate the products from the hydraulic current while permitting the latter to flow uninterruptedly, to the end that the collection of the products may be carried on economically and at the desired speed and without subjecting the operating parts to' the possibility of injury by the products while in transit or while in the collective stage.

To these ends, my invention embodies a collecting chamber provided with a suction inlet and with a suction outlet, combined with a separating element positioned within said chamber and intermediate said suction inlet and the suction outlet, said chamber and the separating element cooperating for the hydraulic current to flow uninterruptedly through said chamber whereas the separating element acts primarily to detain the products within the chamber, whence the products may be removed at the desired time.

VVit-h this collecting chamber cooperates a hydraulic pumping mechanism and a suitable dredging conduit for. tie purpose of establishing thefiow of a hydraulic current from the water-bed whereon the marine growth is propagated, said hydraulic current being of sufficient capacity to. ellect the dislodgment of the products and to convey the same into the collecting chamber.

The invention embodies, also, means whereby the collected mass of products may bcremoved as required from the collecting chamber. A

The invention embodies, further, means for priming the collecting chamber and the hydraulic. pipeline in order to initially set the apparatus into action.

Other functions and advantages of the invention will appear .from the tolloi-ving description taken in connection with the drawings, whereina ..Figure. l.-is a view in side elevation illuscollecting chamber.

Serial No. 370,585.

trating graphically a hydraulic excavator according to this invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on an enlarged scale of the collecting chamber.

Figure. 3 is a sectional plan view of the In order that others may understand my invention I have illustrated a conventional form of hydraulic dredge in Figure 1 of the drawings, wherein A designates a barge or scow upon which is mounted a hydraulic pump B and a suction pipe C, the latter being suitably supported at 0 for an inclined length a of said pipe to dip into the water for a suitable depth in order to reach the bed devoted to the propagation of the prod ucts, such clams, oysters, etc., which it is desired to harvest. The several parts may be of the construction usual in the art of hydraulic dredges, or they may be of any approved design or construction.

According tothis invention, a collecting chamber D with a separator E are interposed in theline of the flow of a hydraulic current that is established and maintained in the suction pipe (I by the operation of the hydraulic pump. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, said chamber is a closed tank, usually of metal and of a desired capacity, said tank being provided with a suction inlet a? and a suction outlet 03'. f

The suction pipe C is attached to the tank in a suitable way for communication with the suction inlet d, whereas a pipe F is attached to the bottom of the tank for co1nmunication with the suction outlet d, said pipe F being connected .to the hydraulic pump B and forming the intake to it.

The separator E is in the form of a grating positioned within the chamber and intermediate the suction inlet d and the suction outlet 03, see Figure 2. As shown, the grating comprises two members 6, 6, one of which members e is inclined across the line of flow of the hydraulic current through the chamber, whereas the other member 0 is horizontally positioned. within the lower part of said chamber.

gate flange g fixed to the endot the tank,

of t

and wh'cn 'closcd the gate is locked tightly against its seat on the flange g by a suitable form of clamp 9 The inclined grating 13 rests upon the floor ot the tank, and the grating e is positioned intermediate the door G and said inclined grating, the latter ao'ting to feed the products by gravity to the horizontal gratings so that the products are accumulated adjacent the door, thus making provision for the collection of the products within the chamber so that the products can be raked or otherwise removed from the chamber with ease and facility. 7 V

As shown, provision is made for the discharge of the hydraulic current away from the scoW or barge, to which end an eduction pipe H is connected to the discharge side of the pump B, said pipe being supported at h.

I is a priming tank supported at 2' upon the 'scow or barge adjacentthe pump B. This tank is adapted to contain the fluid for initially tilling the pump; the collecting chamber, and the suction pipe so as to prime the excavator when starting it into service. Said priming tank is connected to the pump by a pipe the latter having a cock 7" adaptedto be opened and closed as required.

This being the construction of my hydraulic harvester, the operation is as follows:-Gate G is tightly closed; and valve j is opened for liquid to flow from tank I into the pump the collecting chamber, and thesuction pipe in order to prime the same. The inclined length C of the suction pipe is shifted as required in order to reach the-bed, and pump is set, into action to establish and maintain a flow of liquid through the suction pipe, the chamber and the ump, valve 7' being closed and the flow lie current being carried oil by the eduction pipe. The inflow of the hydraulic current set up in the suction pipe is sufficient to dislodge the products from the bed and to transport or convey the same within the suction pipe to the collecting chamber: the water flowing freely ino said chamber, through the grating E and .out ot the chamber through the outlet (5. The products carried the hydraulic current. lodge against the grating e and are directed by the latter toward grating whereby the pro-ducts are collected within the chamber, being caught by the separator andtletained against escape with the hydraulic current through outlet (Z'. \Vhen it is desired to remove the products collected within the chamber, the pump Bis stopped and gate G. is opened. the accumulated mass being raked out' of the chamber. Y 7

If deemed advisable, a plurality of collecting chambers maybe used in connection with the hydraulic pump and a suitable arrangement of valved pipe connections topro'vide for the continued operation of harvesting the products within one "chamber while the other chamber is being emptied.

My hydraulic harvester enables the operation of 'dislodging the products, transporting the same, and separating said products from the hydrai'llic current to be carried on by a single agency, i. e., a. hydraulic current, and, further, the collection of the products is effected without interrupting the tlow of said hydraulic current, whereby the operation ot harvesting submarine wths is performed rapidly and economi-z'ally. The grating acts to detain the products within the collecting chamber in or ler to accu mulate such products in a mass for subsequent removal, and to preclude the products from passing into the hydraulic pump. thus obviating the possibility of injury to the working elements of the hydraulic harvester.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a dredging apparatus, a substantially closed chamber provided in an end wall thereon with a normally closed opening for the removal of the dredged material, a, grate within the receptacle and inclined with re} spect to the plane of the normally closed opening, a second grate positioned interme (hate the inclined grate and said opening, a pump connection in communication with the receptacle below said grates, and a suction pipe attached to the receptacle above the inclined grate and the second grate.

2. In a dredging apparatus, a substantially closed receptacle provided witha normally closed opening, a horizontal grate within the receptacle and contiguous to said opening, another grate also within the receptacle and inclined relatively to the horizontal grate, a pump connection in communication with said receptacle on one side of the grates, and a suction pipe communicating with the receptacle on the opposite side of the grates from said pump connection. V

3. In an apparatus of the class described. a substantially closed receptacle provided with an inlet and an outlet for the flow ot a hydraulic current, said receptacle having a separate normally closed outlet for the removal of material adapted to be accumulated within the receptacle. a separating grating positioned Within the receptacle and intermediate said inlet and the outlet. said grating being inclined, and a relatively stationary second grating within the receptacle, said second grating being intermediate the normally closed outlet to contact with and form a part of the directing surface of the inclined grating. v

4. In an apparatus of theclassdescribed, the combination of a closed collecting receptacl'e provided with an interiorly positioned grating, a suction pipe connected with said receptacle, a hydraulic pump the intake of which is in communication with the. face of said receptacle to draw fluid through the grate, a priming tank, and a valved connection between the priming tank and said pump whereby the pump, the closed receptacle and the suction pipe may be supplied with fluid from said tank for priming the apparatus and flushing the grate.

In an apparatus of the class described, a closed collecting chamber having an interiorly-positioned grating, a suction pipe connected with said chamber, a hydraulic pump the intake of which is in communication with said chamber to draw fluid through the grating, a second grating fixed relatively to said first-named grating to receive the material automatically therefrom, a normal- 1y closed outlet in the end of the chamber adjacent said second grating, said gratings being disposed intermediate the suction inlet atl'orded by the suction pipe and the suction outlet constituted by the intake of said hydraulic pump.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, a closed collecting chamber having an interiorly-positioned grating, a suction pipe connected with said chamber, a hydraulic pump the intake of which is in communication with said chamber to draw fluid through the grating, said grating being disposed in a plane below that of the incoming fluid, a second grating fixed relatively to the first named grating to automatically receive the material therefrom, a normally closed outlet in the end of the chamber adjacent said second grating, and a float-able structure on which said chamber is mounted.

In testimony whereof, I have hereto set my hand this 22nd day of March, 1920.

FRED FEAR. 

